(from Ruth Snead papers)

All lived in the Central Plains section of Fluvanna county - Secretary Road, Antioch. Samuel and Alice Thomas Kent are buried in Wildwood Cemetery, Beckley, WVA.

Samuel Kent and his brothers and sisters were born and raised near Antioch, Va. His father was able to provide well for the family and they had a very happy home. After the Civil War, and deaths of their parents, the family became scattered and with very little money to spend, they lost contact with each other.

Their home was a religious home, their father a preacher. He did not have a regular church, but preached in all the churches around. There were two other churches near besides Antioch Baptist, "Wesley Chapel" was Archibald and Sarah Stone Thomas�s church and Fluvanna Baptist was Daniel Stone�s. I know he was an ordained minister for he performed the marriage ceremony of his son, John T. Kent, Jr. and Mildred Sadler.

Samuel Henry always said, "the girl�s beaus and their friends at his father out of house and home".

I do not know much about Samuel Henry Kent�s early life, except he was a "lady�s man". It is said that many weekends, he would ride his horse down the old canal road to Richmond, about 60 miles. Although his father, John T. Kent is listed in the 1860 Census as a farmer, I do not think any of his sons worked in the fields, probably they did not have to do manual labor. I know he owned a store and both William J. and Samuel worked in it. John Kent�s slaves did not leave after the end of the War of the Rebellion (Civil War), even the young ones stayed on until they were married.

Alice Thomas, Samuel Henry�s wife, also lived near Antioch. However, her parents, Archibald Thomas and Sarah Stone, in 18t3 donated the land and were members of Wesley�s Chapel Methodist Church, about five miles from Antioch Church. There is no record that Samuel Kent joined Antioch church, but he probably did. He was a faithful Baptist all his life.

When they were married (1873) they lived over the store. Verta Sclater says, "Grandfather (John Kent) had a store, which "Uncle Sam" took care of. Mother says Grandma was not well for six years after they married, and Grandfather had always to carry her up the steps.

The first work Samuel Kent had out in this big world, was one working on the railroad, in Pittsburgh, PA. He only worked there three months.

Between 1882 and 1883, Samuel Kent, on the urging of his brother, John T. Kent, Jr., moved to Beckley W. VA.

They settled on a small farm, in an old log house, on the Prince Turnpike. This log house would be located on the lower end of what is now Vine Street. Mankin Ave. runs back of the old farm. It runs along Vance Drive, near the Pinecrest Sanitarium. This four room, log cabin, belonging to Edward Prince, was sealed with siding and Grandma, papered the inside with Confederate Bills. She also covered a fire screen with this money. Mama and all the children around played with it. Grandma�s parents had trunks full of this currency, which at the end of the war was valueless. I have the trunk in which Grandma brought this money. There were a few apple trees planted around this cabin. I can remember seeing part of the foundation.

For the sum of $200.00 in hand and further consideration of the sum of $400.00, as evidence by several Bonds, for the sum of $100.00 each, dated Oct. 5, 1885 and bearing interest from that date -- 1st Bond due Oct. 5, 1886 - 2nd Bond, Oct 5, 1887, 3rd Bond Oct 5, 1888 for sixty-nine an done fourth acres (69 �) containing two tracts, the first 11 � acres and the second 59 acres, adjoining the first. Bounded as follows: Beginning at a small white oak marked "G" N 22de W 161 poles to a small maple on the West side of a branch, S 22 de W 57 poles to a white oak marked "S" 68 de E 161 poles to the beginning, a small white oak marked "G"

Samuel Kent and wife to Burl Williams, for the sum of ten (10) dollars, in hand paid, sold a certain tract of land located � beginning at a gum tree, S 83 de E 46 poles to a white oak marked "g", following George Bailey�s land 12 poles to a white oak stump on the corner of Burl Williams land, certainly containing one (1) acre or less.

Samuel Kent and wife sold to George Bailey for the sum of $55.00 to be paid as follows: $25.00 paid in hand, and the residue of $30.00 in seven months for about 5-1/2 acres. The mineral rights were included in the purchase of this land.

This deed between S. H. Kent and A. M. Kent sold to H. A. Gray and W. R. Sterling of Chicago, Ill, and Esrkine Miller of Staunton, Va for the sum of $10 dollars in hand paid, the receipt whereof is acknowledged a general warranty of title. "All coal and other minerals upon and under that certain tract of land on which the parties of the first part, now reside containing by survey on which is know on the plat of the lands of the C.C.C.L. Association, as No. 13 and where is bounded as described: Beginning at a dogwood tree, a corner to George Bailey�s and on the line of W.T. Shumate tract, 114 poles W. to a small maple by a branch and on the line of Prince and Mellon line and with them 52 � poles to a white oak on Edwin Prince line and with his line E 70 poles and 10 links to a plow point driven into the ground, then W 58 poles to a white oak, a corner to Burl Williams and with him E 52 poles to a gum tree in a corner, then e 45 poles to a white oak by the public road corner to same and Geo. Bailey�s then E 15 � poles to a white oak stump W 38 poles to the beginning, a small dogwood tree.

This being the same tract of land, which was conveyed to Samuel H. Kent and wife, by Edwin prince on Nov. 17, 1886, together with rights and right-of-way in and upon the said premises, necessary and convenient for the successful mining and shipping of said coal and other minerals to market, also the right to carry the coal and other minerals mined on any lands adjoining or adjacent to the said tract, belonging to the parties of the second part, under the tract through driftways under the surface of the same.

With the money acquired from the sale of their mineral rights, Samuel and Alice Kent, paid for their farm, and soon built a home, near the road. I remember this house as having a small front porch, with large lilac bushes on either side. There were about four large sour cherry threes on one side of the house, and a damson tree near the back. On one side of the front yard, a large cedar, still standing, and a good sized orchard. The garden was fenced, with herbs and strawberry vines around the fence. From the garden gate, a grape arbor extending about a hundred feet straight through the middle of the garden. Grandfather always gathered his watermelons and cantaloupes and placed them under this arbor to chill them. On one side of the arbor was a little spot covered with myrtle, where their little infant was buried, I think in a shoe box. They had a large barn lot and a barn, chicken house and other buildings. There two horses I remember were named "Daisy" and "Dock". The back fields were rocky and poor, used for pasture, and in later years were a blackberry thicket. There was one lot called the "bull lot." The pond was here. Grandfather used to cut great blocks of ice off this pond, pack them in saw dust and store in his ice house. (They always had ice to make ice cream.) In the bull lot, there ran a stream, sink holes where the water disappeared, but could still be heard. I think sometimes, the skated on this pond. Here there were two tremendous chestnut trees and a large gum tree. Mankin Avenue runs right through this part of the farm. Grandfather raised fields of corn and buckwheat and all garden produce. He raised hogs, and smoked the meat in a smoke house. In those days, the milk and butter were kept in an outside cellar partly underground. Some had a spring running through them. I do not think this one did, but they had big bins of apples all winter. The house was about a block from the road. It think it had a picket fence around a small yard and then the remainder of the lot, onto the was a pasture for the stock. Grandfather had wagons, a buggy and all kinds of farm implements. He traded his farm produce, eggs, butter and chickens for what they needed at the store.

Grandfather always had his "little brown jug" and had a "dram" every night. He measured out on the blade of his pocketknife, the yearly doses of calomel, which people took in those days. Lots of people in the community came to him, for this service.

On Thanksgiving Day, grandmother always invited grandfather�s brother John T. Kent JR and his family to dinner, and any other relatives she had. I can remember Lottie Sclater Foster and her sister, Verta Shumate, riding out in grand style, to visit her "Uncle Sam" and "Aunt Alice".

On Christmas, grandmother always had a large tree for us. It would all but touch the ceiling. It was decorated with little candles, about five inches long and placed in little holders, clipped on the tips of the branches.

This farm is located on Vance Drive, between King Tut Drive Inn and Mankin Avenue.

April 26, 1883, Samuel Kent�s sister, Mary Kent was married in his home. Sometime after the death of his older sister, Sarah Elizabeth Kent and her husband, Hamilton Sclater, their daughter, Verta Sclater ,his niece, lived with him for a while, then went to Richmond to live with her aunts, the above mentioned Mary Kent Hughes and Valeria Kent Collier.

March 19, 1893, a son, Overton Zeldor Kent, was born to Samuel and Alice Kent. He probably was named for his uncle, John Overton Massie, the husband of Elizabeth Stone - Sarah Stone�s sister. They were the rich old couple who were murdered in 1886, by "Jim Rhodes" and his mother.

Overton Kent was born in the old log house, but shortly afterward, Samuel and Alice built a new home, near the road.

This house had four rooms, a shed and three porches.

"Company room" and a parlor, entered from a small hall, leading from the front porch. The parlor had another door leading to a side porch, a door off of this porch, into the "shed" where the children slept. After the children were grown, this shed was used as a summer dining room. On the other side, adjoining the "Company room" was grandmother�s room, then through a door was the kitchen. The back porch was large and weather boarded, the well was there. All of the rooms except the shed had fireplaces with tall mantle pieces.

Grandmother�s parlor was quite fine, a large rug on the floor with red roses in it, an organ, one of those lovely, quaint old sofas covered with green velvet, beautifully designed back, long lace curtains reaching to the floor. The window shades were always pulled down to keep colors from fading. There was a red velvet picture album and a large family Bible. I must have thought the room was pretty, since I remember it so well and very little about the rest of the furnishings. There was an old clock, kept on the mantle in grandmother�s room. Her china, old ironstone, with the clover leaf in the center, in a deep gold bronze color, called "copper luster". She also had a set of silver table ware, which her mother Sarah Stone Thomas, gave her when she came to W VA. Some of this silverware and the old Family Bible was found in an old trunk of Grandfather�s a few years ago and is in the possession of Overton Kent, her son.

Grandmother always called Samuel Kent, "Sammie".

Sometime before 1900, Samuel Kent, became a carpenter, following this trade, where there was to work on the farm. He helped build most of the old homes in Beckley, including our house on 412 South Kanawah St. It was built about 1905 by a Mr. M.F. Matheney, the dormer windows are made in the shape of a "M".

In 1900, he was building with others, the house of M.L. Painter, on South Heber ST, when at 9:00 o�clock, during an electric storm, John Price Beckley, another carpenter, standing besides grandfather, was struck by lightning and killed.

In 1910, after living in W. VA for 28 years, our grandparents sold the farm, and moved back to Virginia. While grandfather was looking for a place to live, grandmother and Overton visited with grandmother�s double first cousin, Caroline Stone Tutwiler, and her daughter, Leona Moore near Shores, VA, a little distance from Central Plains. (Caroline Stone was the daughter of Smith Thomas and Jane Stone, Jane Stone, sister of Sarah Stone, Smith Thomas brother of Archibald Thomas).

Grandmother�s back porch was enclosed, the well on one side and on the other was a table and benches, where they ate in the summer time. Over the table was a paper fly fan. It was hung over the center of the table attached to the ceiling with rings, about two ft. wide and one ft. in width, one side attached to the ceiling and the other side with strips of paper about two inches wide and twenty inches long. On this side was a long cord, which was pulled back and front, fanning the flies from the table, usually by child. Edith Snead tells me "no one ever went to Mrs. Kents� even the children, that she did not remove her apron, invite them into her parlor and entertain them, as if they were grown ups." Grandmother always visited the sick. I remember going with her once to see my Uncle Sidney Blair, who had tuberculosis, and taking him a cup of sour cherries.

Grandfather, every once in a while, would g to Richmond to see his sister who lived there. Once he stayed about a month, without writing to Grandmother. We became uneasy, thought he might have been murdered. Grandmother was very angry. I think they both longed to go back to Virginia.

April 20, 1909, Samuel and Alice Kent, deeded to their daughter, Mabel Kent Blair, a lot adjoining their home, on which several years before, the "Blairs� had build a seven room house, now Vance Drive.

The next year, they sold their farm to Mariah Vines. S.H. Kent and wife sold August 26, 1910, to Maria Vines, for the sum of $2500.00 cash in hand, containing 60 acres more or less. The original marker, the white oak or white oak stumps and the point were still markers, the maple and dogwood trees were gone.

They went to Shores and visited with grandmother�s first cousin, Caroline Thomas Tutwiler, while Grandfather looked for a farm. In about six weeks, they moved to Cartersville, Va (forty miles from Richmond). They lived there several years, then sold and moved to Gordonsville, VA (nearer to Palmyra). Here Overton almost married ida Brown. In a few years, Grandmother became ill and again Grandfather sold and they came back to Beckley. They lived a few doors below the Methodist Temple for awhile, then moved to Reservoir Road, where they lived until Grandmother�s death, May 14, 1920.

May 31, 1919, they bought two lots on Beckley Avenue, where they intended to build. Grandfather, after Grandmother�s death, sold them, August 5, 1920. Grandfather and Overton lived alone for a few months, then came and lived with us, until Overton married in December of 1923. Grandfather lived with Overton over a year or two, then lived with us until a couple of years before he died in 1938. Papa had had a stroke in 1933 and Mama was not able to care for both of them, so Grandfather had gone to live with Aunt Bess in Olaf, VA. He died in their home.

The last years of his life, Grandfather was bothered with rheumatism and spent his winters in Florida. Aunt Bess says, "On one of these trips, he spend over $1300.00, took $500.00 in cash, $600.00 in cashier�s checks and Overton had to send him money to come home.

Grandfather was a fine looking old gentleman. He was 88 years old when he died in 1938.

Both our Grandparents are buried in Wildwood Cemetery in Beckley WVA

From James Blair: Samuel and Alice Kent, after they came back to Beckley from VA lived in identical houses:the house on North Kanawha St. now owned by Mrs. Burwel Ware and the old house, on South Kanawh St., owned by Robt. Blair, now town down. I think much of the lumber was used in the Blair Camp near Hinton� The Bailey Family lived in this house for many years. The lot was sold to Erma Vacillio, who built a house on it, and lived in it until her husband, E. Grogan died. Mrs. Bepler now lives here. The houses had the same plan.

One time when James was a little boy, he was visiting them in the house on N. Kanawha St. Grandmother was frying chicken. A little bird flew onto the porch. Granddad caught it, picked and dressed it, and put it in the frying pan with Grandmother�s chicken for James to eat.

When Granddad was a young man, he thought nothing of riding his horse down the tow path to visit his sisters in Richmond. It was 60 miles.